Black Pearl
by Zayren Heart
Summary: After going to America to continue her medical career, Haneul is in for the time of her life after an incident involving an emergency vehicle and a police cruiser. Eventually, she becomes an intern in the medical ward of the Autobot's base and gets close to a certain silver Corvette who seems to be frequenting the medical ward more and more... Sides/OC Sideswipe/OC. R
1. Prologue

Black Pearl

Prologue

Haneul sighed as she finally exited the plane after an extremely long flight. Shouldering her purple backpack that was her carry-on, she waited by the baggage claim for her luggage. After hefting the large black and purple suitcase off of the conveyer belt with some help from a kindly gentleman, she stood outside of the airport. Damn, was it hot outside. Pulling her long, straight black hair up off of her neck, she tied it into a messy bun. Narrowing her almond shaped brown eyes to guard them from the sunlight, she fished a pair of sunglasses out of her backpack, quickly putting them on.

Haneul was tiny. As a Korean woman of twenty-four years old, she stood only five feet tall, and weighed around 100 pounds soaking wet. She didn't mind being small, however. It was just a pain in the ass trying to reach for things on the top shelves. Plus, she couldn't stand the nicknames people would give her. However, she managed to put up with all of the ridicule and name calling all throughout her life, and thankfully it had ceased when she entered medical school. Haneul's dream was to be a nurse. All she wanted to do was to help people; she had been that way all of her life. So, it was only natural that she was to enter the medical field when she had the opportunity.

That was one of the reasons why her family had decided to ship her from her home country of Korea to America. There, she would have the chance to further her knowledge and also work on her English skills, which admittedly weren't the best in the world. She tried, though. And to her, that was all that mattered. She could understand most of what was said in the language, but when it came to speaking it, her mind always drew a blank. To her, it was unacceptable. To her family, it was funny.

She quickly made her way to the car rental section of the airport, where she rented a nice black Ford Edge. Seeing as how it was only noon in Washington D.C., she decided to make her way to the hospital where she was going to be an intern with the program they offered. Unfortunately, things didn't quite go her way.

While driving down the back streets of the city, in a more deserted part of town, she screamed and had to slam on the brakes to avoid colliding with a huge, metal foot that had landed right in front of her car. Looking up with her eyes as wide as they could go, her jaw dropped as she saw the being in front of her.

It was large, extremely large, and slightly humanoid although it was made entirely of metal. It was black, with white accents and the word 'Police' stenciled on it. As if hearing her scream, it turned its head towards her, terrifying red eyes glaring at her menacingly. Baring its sharp, rusty teeth it raised its foot, planning on stomping on her car. She couldn't move fast enough to put the gear shift into reverse, but just as it was about to bring its foot down on her, a loud shout echoed throughout the street.

"Barricade!" the voice shouted just as another metal being jumped over her car, ramming themself into her attacker and toppling the two of them to the ground. This one was a bright yellow, and she could vaguely make out the words 'Emergency' on its body. "Stop trying to run away!" it shouted. A large buzz saw ejected itself from its wrist, and was quickly headed towards Barricade's head.

Unfortunately, Barricade managed to remove himself from the yellow one's hold, quickly transforming into a police car and speeding away from the scene. As if noticing her for the first time, the being that had saved her life widened its electric blue eyes as it looked into her own brown ones. The face was distinctly masculine, now that she got the chance to examine it. He breathed a sigh of relief as he saw that she was okay, followed by a gasp of astonishment.

"Oh _slag_."

Ignoring the exclamation of the giant that had saved her, Haneul quickly reversed the car, driving around the legs of the being and speeding off in the direction of the hospital. What she didn't notice was the neon colored emergency vehicle trailing her from a distance.

Parking her car in the hospital's parking lot, she quickly made her way inside. After reassuring the receptionist that she was okay and not, in fact, hurt in any way, she was shown into the back, where she met the doctor that she would be shadowing for the day.

Ratchet, on the other hand, easily blended into the other emergency vehicles behind the hospital. Activating his holo-form, he entered the hospital in search of the human who had witnessed his little spar with Barricade. Because the general public didn't know of their existence yet, they had to be extra careful not to be seen. He was already beating himself up over the fact that he had been so careless, in his eyes. He went to the ER waiting room, thinking that she had gone to the hospital for some injury that Barricade had inflicted upon her, but when he was proven wrong, he slid his hand down his face.

"Slaggit, Optimus is going to have my head."

* * *

**A/N: So, here's my latest story! **

**Sorry that I've been inactive for quite a long time. A lot of shit has been going on in my life. Anyways, I hope that you find this story as intriguing as my others, and review if you like it! **

**I'm unsure as of yet whether or not I will continue with this, but if I receive positive feedback, then you bet your ass I will! I've missed you guys. **

**With love,**

**-ZH **


	2. Chapter 1

Black Pearl

Chapter One

* * *

Haneul was thoroughly enjoying her internship. It had been a few days since the incident with the giant robots from who knows where, and she had pushed it to the back of her mind. After all, who would believe her if she were to tell anybody? Absolutely no one, that's who. So, instead of going crazy about it, she decided to pretend like it had never happened. It was working perfectly for her so far. Unfortunately for her, though, that was about to change.

Ratchet had finally found out where the human who had seen him worked, after some help from the technology department back at the Autobot's base. He was right, though, about how Optimus Prime would react to his mess up.

"_Ratchet, what is it you need to tell me?" Optimus asked after seeing the worried mech in his office. _

"_Well, there's been a slight...mishap," the CMO admitted sheepishly. He was not used to being reprimanded; at least not for something as large as this. After telling the Prime all that had happened earlier that same day, he closed his optics and waited for the shouting that he thought would occur. He was pleasantly surprised when he was proven wrong. _

"_Hmm…I see." Optimus folded his hands in front of his face, leaning his chin on them. "Well, you need to find her. We can't afford to let her speak of this incident to others." He stood up, placing his hand on his friends shoulder. "Ask the technology department to help you find out who she is, and when you manage to find her, bring her back here. She needs to know about us now." _

"_Roger that, Prime."_

Using the license plate number from the car she had been driving, and seeing as how she went to the hospital, it hadn't been all that hard to find her. He pulled up to the hospital with a smile on his face, happy that he had finally found the girl who had witnessed what she wasn't supposed to. He activated his holo-form, a tall middle-aged man with a strong build, strikingly blue eyes and dirty blonde hair with wire-rimmed glasses perched on his nose, and wearing a pair of faded blue jeans, loafers, a yellow button up shirt and a white lab coat. Stepping out of his true form, he entered the hospital.

Haneul was busy taking the blood pressure and oxygen readings for a patient when the doctor she was interning with entered the room. "Front desk is calling you," she said. "It seems as if you've got a visitor or something." When Haneul frowned and gestured towards the patient she was taking care of, the doctor waved her away. "Don't worry about it, I can take over from here. You've done good, Haneul." Nodding, Haneul exited the room, straightening out her scrubs as she made her way down the stairs – she hated elevators – towards the reception desk.

When she got there, she was met with a strange man that she had never seen before in her life. Furrowing her eyebrows in confusion and a bit of worry, she walked over to him. "Um…Hello?" she said, her Korean accent shining through as she spoke. Ratchet smiled at her.

"Haneul Kim, right?" he asked. Even though he knew that he was right, he couldn't screw up the chance he had to talk to her.

"Yes, and who are you?" she replied.

"My name is Ratchet," he told her, ignoring the raised eyebrows she gave him at the mention of his name. "And I'm afraid that I need to talk to you privately. If you'll follow me?" he gestured towards the exit of the hospital, where his alternate mode was stationed. Hesitant, she nodded.

"Umm…sure?" she slowly followed after him after telling the receptionist where she was going.

As soon as she stepped foot outside, she immediately turned to go back in. Situated in front of her was the same exact rescue vehicle that had saved her from the police cruiser that had wanted to squish her like a bug. Her eyes widened in fear as soon as she set her eyes on it, and they widened even further when a gentle but firm hand was set upon her shoulder, preventing her from moving. Slowly turning back around, she gazed at the stranger with suspicious eyes.

"What do you want from me?" she asked, her voice no more than a whisper. Ratchet sighed and, making sure that she wasn't going to run away, removed his hand from her shoulder. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he readied himself for the explanation he was about to give her.

"Haneul, calm down," he told her. "I'm afraid that I need to explain a few things to you about what you saw a few days ago."

"I do not know what you are talking about," she told him. He raised an eyebrow at her, staring until she finally backed down. "Fine, say I believe you. Why are you here?"

"Like I said, I need to explain some things to you. I am afraid that you have been caught up in a mess that no one should be involved in." He sighed before continuing, "I can't explain much more while here but if you want to stay out of danger, you will have to come with me. That car that almost killed you, his name is Barricade, and he is part of a faction that wishes to destroy humanity and Earth along with it. So if you would please come with me, I can explain further." He carefully gauged her reaction.

Haneul wasn't sure what to think. As much as she didn't want to believe the words this Ratchet character was saying, a part of her - a part deep down – was dying to believe it. She had always been fascinated with the unknown. Little did she know it would one day come back to bite her in the ass.

"Say that I believe you," she said slowly, making sure that she was using the correct words. "What happens next?"

"Well, you would come back to the base with me, where my boss will explain things to you and you will be told about our race."

"Okay," she told him. He raised his eyebrows.

"Okay? That's it? You'll come with me?" he asked, hopeful. The less stress that was put on the situation, the better.

"Only after I finish my shift at the hospital," she told him firmly. "I can't mess up this internship." Ratchet nodded in understanding. He was the same way when he was a young bot.

"Fair enough. I will be waiting out here, though, so don't think that you can escape," he warned her. The look in his eyes wasn't threatening though, so she wasn't scared, which surprised her. She waved a goodbye to him before returning to the hospital to continue her shift.

When Haneul exited the hospital after four hours, Ratchet was still there waiting for her, much to her disappointment. She had hoped that he would have gotten bored and left, or forgot, or something along those lines. But like always, luck wasn't on her side. Looking around to see if anyone was watching her, she walked over to the vehicle slowly.

"Err…hi," she mumbled, embarrassed to be talking to a seemingly inanimate object.

"Get in," Ratchet's voice startled her, but she clumsily got into the passenger side of the vehicle. She refrained from screaming when his holo-form appeared in the driver's seat, but only barely. A small squeak managed to escape from her throat, though. "Err…sorry," he muttered, unsure of how to act around the young woman.

"It's fine!" she immediately replied. The last thing she wanted to do was piss off a being that could crush her with a finger.

The ride to the hangar took a little under half an hour, and it was filled with a tense silence. Haneul kept her hands in her lap, knuckles white from how hard they were clasped together. Ratchet was ecstatic when he pulled in front of the large hangar. "We're here," he said unnecessarily. He gently unbuckled Haneul and she quickly exited the CMO. As soon as she did so, he made his holo-form appear next to her. "Captain Lennox will take care of you from here," he informed her, gesturing towards the man that was currently walking towards them.

"Ratchet, is this the girl?" the man asked. Haneul thought that he was a very good looking, albeit somewhat stern, man. After receiving conformation from Ratchet, he smiled at the Korean girl. "Welcome to the Autobot's headquarters," he told her. "If you'll please follow me." He turned around without another word and started walking away. She immediately followed after him.

She was led to a metal detector, she assumed it was so that they knew she was harmless and wasn't carrying any type of weapon. Not that her five foot form could do much damage to the highly trained professionals that she was currently surrounded with. After going through it without a hassle, Lennox gestured for her to follow him. Haneul followed his quick pace with quick steps. She was led into a large room that had a desk and a few chairs in it. Lennox sat down and so did she.

"Okay, Haneul was it?" he questioned. At her nod of reassurance, he continued, "Okay, well obviously you know why you're here, right?"

"B-because of what I saw?" she cursed herself internally for stuttering. Lennox nodded.

"Exactly. Because of where you were, the Decepticons – which are a faction of Cybertronians that plan on taking over Earth – are now aware of your presence, which could cause trouble not only for you, but for N.E.S.T. as well. N.E.S.T. is a part of the military that works with the Autobots – which is the good faction of Cybertronians – in order to rid the world of the Decepticons. As you can imagine, we don't want any trouble to occur because of this." He paused for a brief moment. "Do you have any questions so far?"

"Uh, what are Cybertronians?" she asked, her accent causing her to slightly mess up the pronunciation of the word. Lennox smiled, warming up to the foreign girl slightly.

"Cybertronians are robotic organisms from the planet Cybertron. Their planet's source of power, the Allspark, was found here on our planet and therefore caused both the Decepticons and the Autobots to come here to try and retrieve it for different purposes. Fortunately for us, the Autobots wanted to save our planet and we've managed to defeat the Decepticons for the time being." Lennox quietly judged her reaction after he finished his explanation.

Haneul took a deep breath to calm herself down before looking up at Lennox with bright eyes. "Can I meet them?" she asked hopefully. He laughed good-naturedly at her.

"Of course. Come with me."

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**A/N: Here's the next chapter guys~ I'm surprised at the response that I have received for the prologue, so I'm giving you guys the first actual chapter a few days earlier than I had planned! **

**After this, expect a chapter about once a week. I'm going to try to update every Monday, or something along those lines. I haven't decided yet eheh. **

**Please, please _please_** **REVIEW. It really means a lot to me! **

** -ZH**


	3. Chapter 2

Black Pearl

Chapter Two

Lennox smiled at Haneul with a soft expression. He was extremely happy that she was not the type of person to freak out at things that were…not quite normal. Like giant alien robots from another planet, for example. As he gestured for the black-haired girl to follow him, she excitedly stood up from her chair, making sure to push it back underneath the table as she followed after him like a lost puppy. He took his time walking so that her short legs could keep up, but even then the pace was quick for her. Still, they came to a separate part of the hangar that was even larger than the space that they had just came from.

"Daebak," Haneul muttered, gazing around the structure with wide eyes. Lennox turned towards her with a confused expression on his face. She flushed, embarrassed because she had used her native language – something that she thought rude while in a different country. "Err, sorry," she apologized. "It means awesome." At the explanation, Lennox nodded, a smile forming on his face.

"Yeah, it is pretty great, isn't it?" he asked rhetorically. "This is where the Autobots stay." She nodded with understanding. That would explain why the building was so big. If the others were anything like Ratchet, then it would have to be huge in order to let him fit, she thought.

They walked a little bit longer, going deeper into the hangar before Lennox stopped. In front of the two were a line of expensive looking cars, among them a large Semi, a silver Corvette, a black pick-up truck that she thought could run her over with just one of its tires, a cherry red Ferrari and the rescue vehicle she recognized as Ratchet. Haneul sent Lennox a confused look, and he chuckled slightly.

"I told them that you were coming to meet them," he explained, and though Haneul didn't recall him ever contacting them, she ignored that and went with it. "So they are in their alt forms for now." She nodded, accepting his explanation.

"Alt forms?" she questioned quietly. Ratchet, she knew, transformed into the rescue vehicle, but she wasn't quite sure as to why.

"Yeah, alternate modes," the soldier explained. "It's basically so that they can patrol the city while remaining undetected, since the general population doesn't know about them yet." He shot her a look as he said the last part, and she ducked her head in shame. Laughing slightly, he shook his head, patting her on the head affectionately. While she may have been twenty-four, she was so petite that it was easy to assume she was much younger. "Don't worry about it, you're not the first person to have seen them," he reassured her. At her raised eyebrows, he continued to explain, "We've either paid them off, or they joined the team in some way." She nodded in understanding. It made sense, after all.

"Okay, now just don't…freak out. They hate that," Lennox told her with a slight smile as they stopped in front of the semi. The way he said that worried Haneul slightly, but she nodded in consent. "Okay Optimus, we're in the clear."

As soon as he said that, the red and blue semi started transforming. Haneul watched in awe as the parts shifted effortlessly. The sound of gears whirring and tires spinning filled the air as Optimus Prime stood up, his head reaching almost all the way to the ceiling. Finishing his transformation, he knelt down on one knee, facing the surprised Korean woman. His blue optics had a glint of amusement in them. "Greetings, Haneul. My name is Optimus Prime."

"Uh…hi," she managed to squeak out. Laughter was heard from the other vehicles, making her blush intensely and jump slightly.

"I am sorry on behalf of my Chief Medical Officer, Ratchet, in regards to what you have been caught up in," the Prime said, throwing a glance to the rescue vehicle. Ratchet then transformed himself, much quicker than the Prime did. He didn't want to put on a show of it like Prime usually did whenever first meeting someone.

"I said I was sorry, didn't I?" he grumbled, making Haneul laugh. The rest of the bots then transformed as well, not bothering to wait because of the bots that were already in their bipedal modes.

"Haneul." She noted vaguely that her name sounded odd when it had that robotic lilt to it. "I would like you to meet Sideswipe, Ironhide, and Dino. The rest of our team is out patrolling across the globe, looking for Decepticons." He pointed to each of the bots in turn as he said their name.

Sideswipe just looked down his nose at her, not bothering to say anything. In his eyes, she was kind of useless. And to him, useless things were annoying things. Especially this one, he thought. He noted that she was extremely small, even for a human. Sighing, he finally introduced himself to her after getting looks from everyone in the room. "Name's Sideswipe," he said gruffly in his deep voice. Haneul frowned slightly, wondering why he didn't like her when he didn't even know her. Oh well, there wasn't exactly anything that she could do about it.

Ironhide, while thinking along the same lines as the silver mech, smiled slightly and nodded at her. "I'm Ironhide, weapons expert," he announced proudly. Haneul giggled slightly, waving at him. She liked him already! While she may not look like it, Haneul was fascinated with all things technological. She loved to take things apart and rebuild them to be even better. It was a favorite past time of hers. So, seeing the large, complicated cannons on his arms, she held in her joy.

Dino smiled down at her, bowing his head slightly. "And I am Dino," he said in his Italian accent. "It is nice to meet you." She nodded and said likewise.

"And now that you have met the Autobots, I'm sure that you realize why the world can't know of them yet," Lennox told her. She nodded, turning to him.

"It's because of their technology, isn't it?" she questioned. He looked slightly surprised at her answer, but nodded.

"Exactly."

"Makes sense," she murmured.

"So, will you swear not to tell anybody about the Autobots? We are prepared to offer you a large sum of money." She looked absolutely appalled at the idea.

"I do not need your money," she spat at him. Lennox reeled back in astonishment.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Take it easy there. I didn't mean to insult you," he said, hands in the air in surrender. She huffed, crossing her arms across her chest. "Okay, so no money. But you'll keep quiet?" She nodded in agreement. Lennox sighed in relief. "Great. I'll leave you to Ratchet then. He can take you home."

"Of course," the CMO grumbled, transforming down into his alternate mode quickly. He rolled up next to her. The holo-form was already flickering into place in the driver's seat. "C'mon, get in." She did so, and the seatbelt slid itself across her body and clicked into place, making her jump slightly. Ratchet smiled slightly. "Sorry."

"It is okay," she muttered, embarrassed.

The ride back to her apartment went by faster than she had wanted. Her and Ratchet talked about a lot of things. Many – okay, almost all – of their topics were someone related to the medical field. Both being in the medical field for their respective species, it was interesting to hear the different ways of treatment for both parties. Ratchet in particular grilled Haneul about how she was taught; being from Korea and not America he wanted to see if there was a difference. And likewise, she was interested in the anatomy of a Cybertronian. All in all, they kept a nice conversation going up until Ratchet pulled up in front of her apartment complex.

"Oh, and Haneul," he commented as she was about to exit his alt form. She turned to him, waiting. "I've programed both Captain Lennox's and the Autobot's numbers into your phone in case Barricade or another Decepticon decide to pay you a visit," he told her. She froze, a twinge of fear coursing through her veins.

"Umm…thanks," she stammered. Hopefully, she wouldn't have to use the numbers now imputed into her phone. They said their goodbyes and she watched as Ratchet sped off. She hoped that that would be the last time she saw any of them, if she were to be honest with herself. Shaking her head to rid herself of all things Cybertronian, she entered her apartment.

Like always, however, Haneul's wishes were not honored. It was only a few days after Ratchet had dropped her off, and she thought that things were going well. She continued her internship at the hospital, pulling long hours and sometimes not even getting to sleep before having to go back. Such was the life of an Emergency Room worker, however. The only good thing was her gaining knowledge and a ton of work experience. So, she wasn't complaining.

She was driving home when it happened. If she were to look back at _how_ it had happened, she would say that she didn't remember a thing.

Barricade came out of nowhere. Ramming into the side of her vehicle, he stayed in his alt mode as he continued to drive forward. Haneul's car, which had initially been hit on the passenger side, then slammed into a telephone pole, making her head hit the glass. Dazed, she didn't realize what happened at first. When she got control of her thoughts, she started panicking. Reaching across the center console for her purse, she quickly fished her phone out, hitting the number that was on speed dial. Barricade backed up, preparing to run into her again, pushing her farther into the telephone pole and causing more damage.

"Hello?" Lennox's voice rang through the phone. Haneul breathed a sigh of relief.

"Lennox! I-it's Barricade!" she shouted, screaming a little when the police cruiser slammed into her car again. She braced herself against the crushed door to prevent her head from slamming into the window again.

"What?! Okay, Ironhide and Sideswipe are on their way!" he told her, and she could vaguely hear shouting in the background. She crawled into the backseat, hoping to be able to get the back door open. She was lucky. Crawling out of the car, it was then she noticed that she had been injured in the crash. Pressing a hand to her head, it came away bloody. Cursing in Korean, she made a dash for the street, hoping to throw Barricade off of her trail.

The Decepticon just laughed, partially transforming so that his guns were now visible, and a strange apparatus was coming from his headlights. He gleefully shot at the human he was after. Luckily for her, he was a bad shot when it came to something as tiny as she was. The fact that she was running – or, more staggering – diagonally helped her odds out as well. Just as he was about to transform and end his fun, the sound of two loud engines cut through the street. Ironhide and Sideswipe had finally come to her rescue.

The black mech rammed into Barricade's side, successfully diverting his attention from Haneul to Ironhide. Ironhide then did the same as Barricade, transforming his guns out and shooting repetitively at his enemy. Sideswipe went over to Haneul on Ironhide's orders. Even though he wanted a piece of Decepticon ass, he knew how to follow his orders from higher ups. Pulling to a stop in front of her, he winced when she got blood on his hood.

"Get in," he ordered gruffly. Haneul looked at him with a frightened expression, not recognizing Sideswipe right away. "It's Sideswipe, so get in already!" he barked. She hurriedly did as he said, and they were off with a squeal of tires.

"W-what about Ironhide?!" she questioned frantically, worried for the mech. Sideswipe sighed.

"He'll be fine," he told her. "At least he gets to fight," he grumbled. "Always gets all the action."

"Are you t-taking me back to the base?" she asked nervously, clutching at the armrest.

"Yeah. Lennox wants to talk to you about something, apparently."

The rest of the ride was silent. Haneul applied as much pressure as she could to the wound on her head, and tried not to get blood anywhere on Sideswipe's nice leather seats. Knowing that head wounds bled a lot, she wasn't too concerned. She knew that she most likely had a concussion, albeit a minor one.

When the two of them rolled into the base, Sides' door popped open immediately, and Haneul climbed out. By now, her hand and shirt were soaked with blood. As if sensing she was hurt, Ratchet came barreling around a corner, eyes immediately on her. After checking to make sure that Sideswipe was unharmed, he scooped Haneul up in his hands, ignoring the squeak of protest she made. "Oh hush, I won't harm you." The medic rolled his optics at her. She then fell silent, a blush spreading across her cheeks. The two of them quickly entered the med bay. "Is this the only wound you have acquired?" he questioned. She nodded.

"Yes, it is just my head," she told him, pulling her hand away from the wound. Blood trickled down her face. He activated his holo-form in order to better take care of the human in front of him, seeing as how his bipedal form was too large to be of much use.

"Okay, let me see," he murmured, prodding at the wound carefully. Haneul didn't wince, knowing it would just cause more pain. "It's not that bad, so just let me put a bandage over it and you'll be off to see Captain Lennox," he told her with a small smile. After successfully wrapping her head, he comm. linked Sideswipe to bring her to the soldier.

Sideswipe rolled into the med bay with a sour expression. Why, of all the bots at the base, did _he_ have to take the human? There were plenty of other bots, and even humans, capable of escorting Haneul to Lennox. But no, _he_ was the one who had to do it. And he knew better than to cross Ratchet. He didn't want a wrench to the helm, thank you very much.

He picked Haneul up in his large hand and cradled her to his chest as he swiftly rolled across the base to where Lennox was most often found, along with the rest of his team. Skidding to a stop a few feet away from the soldiers, he kneeled down and pretty much dropped the Korean woman in front of Lennox. "Here," he said gruffly before turning on his wheels and skating off.

"Haneul! Are you okay?" Lennox asked, eyes wide as he took in her blood covered shirt. Thankfully, Ratchet had cleaned her face and neck up for her so she didn't look like she was bleeding out. She smiled shyly.

"I'm fine," she said softly. "It's just a slight head wound." He raised an eyebrow at her, but shrugged it off. He knew that she knew what she was talking about, especially because she was a nurse.

"Still, that shouldn't have happened. We've been trying to track down Barricade ever since the incident, but unfortunately until now we haven't been able to get a hold of him." He scratched the back of his head. "Unfortunately, that means that you got hurt in the process." She shook her head.

"Don't worry about it," she reassured him. "As long as you caught him…Did you?" she questioned. He sighed.

"Not quite…Ironhide did manage to wound him pretty bad before he escaped though, so it's likely that he won't be bothering anyone for a very long time." He paused, coming up with what to say next. "I have a proposition for you," he said carefully. Haneul raised her thin eyebrows at him, confused. He continued, "I've talked it over with my commander and Optimus Prime both, and they've agreed that you would be much safer staying here at the base." When she went to protest, he hurriedly said, "You'd be working, of course. We have a position open in the med bay, and Ratchet even said that the human doctors we have could use another assistant."

She thought it over very carefully. On one hand, she'd be a whole hell of a lot safer on the base than if she were to stay in her apartment. But on the other hand, she would have to stop her internship at the hospital. She had worked her ass off in order to get it, studying until the wee hours of the morning and even skipping some meals in order to get in some extra study time. However, she thought, maybe working on the base would be an even better opportunity for her. She would have the chance to learn about an alien race, along with getting experience with humans. After five minutes of thinking, she had finally made her decision.

"I accept."

"Great!" Lennox exclaimed. For a minute there, he had been worried that she would refuse. Then, if she got killed by Barricade or another Decepticon, he would feel like it would be on his head. Although not true, that was just how he thought. But, because she accepted, she would be much better protected. For that, he was glad. "I'll have Ratchet take you home so you can get your things."

The CMO was more than happy to take Haneul back to her apartment. He felt as if he owed her something. Especially because he felt as if it was his fault that she got into the mess she was in. He knew that it wasn't truly his fault; how could it be when he was chasing after Barricade? However, he was determined to make her stay at the base something that she would enjoy.

* * *

**A/N: Soooo, here's the next chapter! It's a little over 3,000 words O.O One of the longest chapters I've ever written, I believe. I'm so proud T_T. ANYWAYS. Yeah. Please tell me your thoughts and feelings on this chapter in a review! Even one word means a lot to me. **

**So, PLEASE review. For meeee? Plus, more reviews I get, the more motivation I have to write faster.**

**Expect an update every week, though, unless something comes up. (Or my muse leaves me...)**

**Thanks a whole lot for reading! **

**-ZH**


	4. Chapter 3

Black Pearl

Chapter Three

* * *

The next day, after filling out a shit ton of paperwork among other things, Haneul was taken to the med bay by Lennox. "Okay, so Ratchet will explain most of what is going to be going on with your new job. There will be humans there too, though, to help make it an easier transition for you," he explained. Haneul just nodded, walking swiftly next to him. Most days she would curse her short height. This would be one of them. Lennox was over a full foot taller than she was, making her have to almost run to keep up with his long strides. Seeing that she was having trouble keeping up, he slowed his pace slightly. She threw a grateful smile his way.

"Sorry, I keep on forgetting that you're so much shorter than me," he apologized. She laughed good naturedly.

"Don't worry about it; I'm used to it by now," she informed him. He laughed along with her. They then arrived at the med bay, where a pissed off Ratchet was waiting for them.

"It's about slagging time!" he grumbled. "I've been waiting for at _least_ ten of your earth minutes for you two to arrive." His arms were crossed across his chest and he was tapping his foot impatiently, making Haneul and Lennox try to hide their smiles.

"Sorry, Ratchet. It was my fault," she said with a giggle, looking up at him with wide eyes. Ratchet sighed before giving in to her puppy dog look.

"It is fine, Haneul," he told her. "But make sure that you are not late ever again, hear me?" he scolded. She nodded immediately, feeling like she was being reprimanded by her father. While her father was a supportive one, he was also very stern. So she was generally doing her absolute best at everything in order to receive praises from her dad. Thankfully, she was pretty good when she applied herself to her studies and therefore got the praise she deserved.

"Of course!" she told Ratchet, standing up straight.

"Good, good," he said, nodding his head. "Now, for your job description." He lowered his hand for her, and she hesitantly stepped on it. Ratchet slowly raised her to the large metal berth that he was standing next to. Lennox nodded his head at them in a goodbye before leaving the two to talk; he knew that Haneul was in good hands with the CMO. Haneul waved back to him before giving her full attention to the Autobot in front of her.

"Okay, so you will be working with me, here in the med bay. Recently, a few of our human doctors have retired, so your coming has been at an opportune time. I understand that you have completed your nursing school degree and have come to the states for an internship?" he questioned.

"Yes," she affirmed.

"Great," he said. "Then that opportunity will be transferred here to our division. Here, you will be in charge of the preliminary care of the humans, before the official doctors step in. Understand?" She nodded.

"Yes! It sounds like a wonderful opportunity," she told him with a wide smile on her face, making her eyes squint up cutely. Ratchet laughed slightly, the deep sound reverberating through Haneul and making her chest itch on the inside. She scratched absentmindedly.

"Good, you start now," the CMO said. Her eyes widened with shock. She stuttered for a few moments while Ratchet looked on in amusement. "Don't worry, I will be right here if you need me," he told her. She nodded hesitantly.

"Umm…Okay." She nodded to herself. She could do this. Definitely. First day on the job, no pressure whatsoever. Nope.

"You'll do fine," Ratchet reassured her. She looked at him with wide eyes.

"If you say so," she murmured. He nodded his head at her in confirmation.

"Of course I do." He set her down on the ground. "Through that door, you will find your first patient. Just a general check-up."

Haneul slowly walked through the door that was before her. Inside was a young woman, around twenty six years of age, with an olive skin tone, long brown hair, and deep brown eyes. She was short, maybe four inches taller than Haneul, and sitting on top of the bed in the room. When Haneul walked inside after grabbing the files in the folder by the door, she was smiling. That kind of surprised Haneul, because, well, it was a doctor's office. Who smiles in a doctor's office? Apparently - she checked her chart - Sharadyn Regarde does.

"Oh, hi! You must be the new nurse?" Sharadyn asked cheerfully. Haneul nodded.

"That would be me," she said.

"Oh! Where are you from? I like your accent!"

"I am from South Korea," she said with a small smile. She was starting to like this girl already.

"Really? That's cool! I've never been there," Sharadyn told her.

"It is a beautiful place," Haneul told her as she took her blood pressure.

The check-up went smoothly, and by the time the doctor was handed the patient's charts the two women were on their way to becoming friends. After her first patient, Haneul's day went by smoothly. Patient after patient came by and she quickly made acquaintances with the people on base. After her shift was over, she exited the med bay with a slow pace, tired from the day's work. Sharadyn was waiting for her.

"Hey there, Haneul!" she exclaimed, waving. Haneul walked up to her with a small smile.

"Hello, Sharadyn," she said calmly, offering her a small wave.

"How was work?" the female soldier asked curiously as the two slowly walked towards the side of the base where the humans resided. Sharadyn was off duty at that moment, so she had taken up the task of showing Haneul around her new home.

The tour took up an hour of their time, but it was time well spent. She was shown the cafeteria, the training rooms, the Autobot's hangar, as well as the recreation room where she was told the soldiers spent most of their time when off duty. After the long hour, Sharadyn finally showed Haneul her room, which was in the same corridor as the med bay.

As she was saying goodbye to her new found friend, Haneul ran into Sideswipe – almost literally. The screeching sound of tires stopping suddenly hurt her ears. "Damnit, watch where you're walking, human!" Sideswipe spat, glaring down at Haneul. She flinched back.

"I-I'm sorry!" she hurriedly said, trying to ease the tension that was quickly growing.

"Tsk. Sure you are," he said sarcastically. "Just stay out of my way." With that, he swerved around her and sped away, making the loose clothes she was wearing flap in the wind he left behind. Sighing, she entered her room.

'_Well, that went well…'_

* * *

**-0-0-0-**

* * *

The next few weeks went by in a rush.

Haneul was quickly getting used to getting up at five thirty in the morning every single morning and making her way down the corridor to the medical bay, where Ratchet would be waiting for her. The first thing she would do was wash her hands. She then would grab the folder Ratchet would have placed on the human-sized table in the corner of the room and look over the appointments they had for the day so she could get her schedule settled. After she looked over everything, she would then start getting everything set up. Since she came in at six in the morning, she was usually the first one there. Therefore, she was responsible for setting up everything that the doctors needed at their stations, and making sure that they were sterilized. After the first week, the next one went by quickly. She had even started helping Ratchet out with some of the Autobot's small repairs that he couldn't quite reach with his tools. It made her feel proud that she could be of use to him.

All in all, it was starting to feel like home for her. Well, all except for one thing. Sideswipe had been frequenting the med bay more and more as the weeks went by. And it was strange, because at first he avoided the medical room as usual – she was told by Ratchet that the silver mech had only visited him when he dragged Sideswipe by the helm. The CMO was as confused – if not more – than she was as to why after almost every training session he was visiting the med bay. When asked, the silver mech replied that it wasn't a crime to want to look his best. After that, they didn't ask again, seeing as how the mech clearly didn't want to tell the truth.

Ignoring the fact that she was seeing the Autobot that apparently hated her more and more, she and Sharadyn had become fast friends.

"Haneul! C'mere, I want to introduce you to my team mates," Sharadyn beckoned to Haneul, and the tiny Korean made her way over to the group of five. There were two girls and three guys in Sharadyn's team, including her. "This is Jessica, Kevin, Brady and Grant," she introduced.

"Hello," Haneul greeted softly. Jessica and Kevin both greeted her back amiably, while Brady and Grant looked at her with cold eyes.

"I can't believe you are actually friends with her, Danny," Grant scoffed, looking at his teammate and completely passing over Haneul. She was shocked. What had she ever done to deserve that kind of treatment? She had never even met him before!

"Yeah, she's all buddy-buddy with those alien freaks," Brady said.

Haneul teared up immediately. How could they say such awful things?

* * *

**A/N: So here's the next chapter! Sorry it's not all that long, and it's kind of late, but between drinking and planning for a July 4th party I haven't exactly had time to type. And I wanted to get this up today! **

**Please review~**

**Thanks**

**-ZH**


	5. Chapter 4

Black Pearl

Chapter Four

* * *

Unfortunately for Haneul, the harassment didn't stop there. Grant and Brady continued to tease her about her attraction to the Autobot side for weeks. Slowly, it got worse and worse. It started gradually. Little snide comments here and there, a shove when they passed her in the hallway, things like that. Generally, Haneul tried to just ignore them. Walking away, however, wasn't always that easy.

"C'mon, Hanny," Grant teased, calling her by a nickname that she absolutely abhorred. "Aren't ya gonna do anything about it?" He blocked her way through the corridor, moving to get in her way whenever she attempted to move around him.

"Move," she almost growled. Haneul was a kind-hearted soul, but when her buttons were pushed, she could get pretty nasty. Her family always had called it her "dark" side and laughed. To her, however, it wasn't exactly all that funny.

"Why don't you make us?" Brady sneered. Sighing, she backed off, deciding to go another route to get to the med bay, which was her original destination.

"Hey!" Grant shouted after her, and she bolted. Running as if her life depended on it, she tore down the corridors, taking turns quickly by swinging herself around with the help of her hand. Unfortunately, she didn't look where she was going, too busy taking a peek behind her to see if Grant and Brady were still chasing after her, and plowed right into something hard and solid, knocking her back on her bottom. Groaning, she held her head and looked up. She was shocked at what she saw.

"What the hell?!" Sideswipe's deep baritone questioned as he looked down at her. "Haneul? What are you doing down there?" he asked her, a touch of annoyance in his tone.

"Oh nothing, just hanging out," she said sarcastically; her accent, while still there, was much less prevalent than it had been when she arrived to America. Sides rolled his optics.

"Sure, sure," he mumbled, reaching down a hand to help her stand up. A little bit shocked, she grabbed onto one of his long fingers with both of her hands and hauled herself up.

"Um…thanks," she muttered, chocolate colored eyes still wide from the shock of Sideswipe actually doing something helpful for once. He sighed.

"Whatever," he grumbled before wheeling away quickly.

Haneul quickly made her way to her original destination, the med bay. Ratchet briefly looked up when she walked through the large doors. He hummed a beat, pausing whatever he was working on to turn towards her, a question in his eyes. "What took you so long?"

"Well, I erm…got distracted?" she sort of questioned. No way was she going to tell Ratchet, aka her boss, about the harassment that she was encountering in the hallways. He snorted, obviously not believing her.

"Mmhmm, sure," he muttered before turning back to tinkering with whatever was on the table he was standing next to. "Whatever it was, make sure it doesn't happen again," he demanded. She squeaked an agreement. Haneul then walked over to the human sized table that was against the wall, intent on getting to work. For the rest of the day, she did as she had done the previous weeks. Tending to patients came naturally by now, and she generally took a lunch with Sharadyn, and thankfully only Sharadyn.

By the time the work day was over for her, Haneul was thoroughly exhausted, and thoroughly terrified about the walk back to her room. Walking out of the med bay doors, she was again extremely shocked by the sight of Sideswipe leaning against the opposite wall. Stopping in her tracks, she looked up at him with wide eyes. "Umm…do you need Ratchet for something?" she questioned. He shook his head, not saying anything. "Well then what's up?"

"I came to walk you back to your room," he informed her. Haneul, who had made to move past him, stopped in her tracks.

"W-what?!" she exclaimed, spinning around on her heel. "Why?"

"Please, like you need me to tell you," he scoffed. She raised her eyebrows at him.

"Excuse me?!" she shrieked. "I have _no_ idea what the hell you are talking about!"

"Of course you do," he replied lazily, looking down at her. His blue optics gleamed in the dim light of the corridor.

"No, I _don't_ so why don't you enlighten me?"

"I saw Grant and Brady harassing you today," Sideswipe said bluntly. Haneul took a deep breath, shocked. She had thought for sure that she had avoided the crowded routes in order to remain anonymous to her friends – well, she wouldn't exactly call Sideswipe a _friend_, per se, but still.

"A-and?" she stuttered, face reddening.

"And I don't like it," he replied, bending down to pick her up. She squeaked in shock, trying to avoid looking at how far the drop would be if he let go. She then tried, unsuccessfully, to pry open his clutch.

"So?! It's none of your business!" she shouted at him, glaring when her attempts proved to be futile.

The two argued back and forth angrily, neither of them noticing the fact that Sideswipe's large hand was slowly tightening its hold on Haneul's fragile body. As the arguing got louder, they didn't notice the presence of an angry Ratchet standing in the now open med bay doors. A wrench was held firmly in his hand, ready to throw. He was about ready to when a loud crack followed by a heart-wrenching scream tore through the base, originating from Haneul. Sideswipe had squeezed too tight.

"Sideswipe!" Ratchet called out, reaching out and twisting a wire in the arm that held Haneul. The arm went limp, and Ratchet caught the human woman as gently as he could. Tears of pure agony were falling down her face.

"W-what?" Sides muttered, optics wide with horror. Taking one look at the two others, he quickly wheeled away. Ratchet quickly hauled Haneul to the med bay, strapping her down to a table to prevent her from moving.

"Hmm…He broke no less than three of your ribs," he told her. She kept silent, trying to prevent the sobs from breaking through her lips, knowing it would only cause more pain. He quickly bandaged her torso, setting her ribs in their proper positions so that they would heal correctly. After he had taken care of her, he called Optimus Prime on a private comm. link. _**'Prime, I need you to get down to the med bay, and bring Sideswipe.'**_ Prime answered in an affirmative, and it was no more than ten minutes until he arrived, the silver mech in tow.

"What is going on?" the Prime demanded, optics immediately switching from Ratchet to Haneul, who still lay on the bed, almost passed out due to the pain that she was experiencing.

"Sideswipe here has broken four of Haneul's ribs," the CMO told him, stepping back slightly as a dark aura overtook Optimus Prime.

"Sideswipe, I am extremely disappointed in you; you _know_ we do not harm the humans!" Prime turned towards Sides as he said it, making the silver mech cower in defeat. As is usually was, someone being disappointed in you was worse than them being angry. Sides now knew this first hand.

"I didn't mean to, I swear!" he protested, waving his arms in denial. Prime sighed.

"I am afraid that that does not matter," he replied gravely. "You are banned from being within twenty feet of Haneul, and your patrol had been doubled." When Sideswipe made to protest, the Prime just held up a hand, stopping him. "I have made my decision, Sideswipe, and it is final." The silver mech hung his head in shame, slowly wheeling out of the med bay. Ratchet then turned towards his newest patient.

"Haneul, you will be confined to the med bay for at least three weeks while your ribs heal, then the remaining three weeks you will be confined to bed rest," he told her. Knowing the process for healing broken ribs, she had expected this and merely nodded in agreement.

However, she was about to protest Sideswipe's punishment. She knew that it was mostly her own fault that her ribs were broken. After all, she was the one that had been arguing with him in the first place. Of course, when she tried to voice her opinion, Ratchet just ignored her and gave her a morphine drip I.V. in order to help her cope with the pain. He told her to just sleep off the worst of it and left her side to go continue with whatever he had been doing before the fiasco had happened.

The next day, Haneul opened her eyes only to see Sideswipe hovering outside of the med bay doors, looking at her with a sad expression on his face. Sitting up as slowly as she could, as to not cause herself any more pain, she waved at him. "Hey, Sideswipe!" she called out. He startled, backing up slightly. "Come here?" she asked of him. Panicking, he fled instead, calling back an apology. Fuming, Haneul could do nothing but sit there with her arms by her sides. She couldn't even cross her arms for god's sake! It would only cause more agony, which she was most definitely not partial to.

A few hours later, Optimus Prime himself walked in to check on how she was doing. She perked up some. "Optimus Prime!" she exclaimed happily. "Just the bot I was looking for~" she sang, eyes smiling.

"Oh?" the mech questioned, raising an eyebrow. "What do you need me fore, Miss Haneul?" he asked her.

"It's about Sideswipe," she began hesitantly. "It's not his fault that I broke my ribs, I swear! It's totally all my fault! Please don't punish him!"

"I am afraid that it has already been decided, Miss Haneul," he told her gravely, bowing his head to better look at her. She made a sound of protest.

"B-but! You guys don't know what all has been going on! He was just trying to help me, honest!"

"What, exactly, has been going on?"

"Well…" Realizing that she had figuratively dug her own grave, she sighed. "There are these two soldiers that have been..Bullying me, I guess you could say, because I consider myself to be a friend of the Autobots…" She continued to tell him what was going on with her daily life. All about the threats she had received, as well as the physical punishments that had been acted out upon her by Grant and Brady. When she had finished, Optimus simple stood there, his arms crossed, and contemplated what she had told him.

"Is this true?" he asked her, looking her dead in the eye. She nodded.

"I would not lie to you, Optimus Prime," she said quietly.

"Then we have something to discuss with Lennox," he said with a stern expression.

* * *

**A/N: So here's the next installment! Sorry that it took so long...I'm in New York currently, helping my uncle and grandpa out so I haven't had time to write much of anything! I'm going to try to change that, though. I am working on two separate fics at the moment though, one kpop fanfiction and this one, so I apologize for the slow updates. This is a warning, though! There WILL be slow updates!**

**Thanks for reading and PLEASE REVIEW,**

**-ZH**


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

* * *

Optimus Prime led the way through the hangars, towards wherever Lennox was at that moment in his alternate form. When they reached him, Prime transformed into his bipedal form. "Lennox," his deep voice rang out across the hangar.

"Yes, Prime?" Lennox asked, turning his attention from the soldiers to the leader of the Autobots.

"We need to talk," Prime told him firmly. Lennox, confused, nodded and dismissed himself from his comrades in order to follow the Prime.

"Okay Prime, what's the matter?" he asked. Knowing that Optimus never pulled him away unless it was something important, he was doubly confused when he saw Haneul following quietly behind them. "And what's she doing here?" Seeing the hurt look that briefly passed her features, he tried to backtrack. "Not that I mind, of course, but I'm just confused," he explained.

"I have been told that Haneul here is being harassed by two soldiers that are under your command." A shock look overtook Lennox's features.

"W-what? Who would do such a thing?" he demanded. Prime then told him what Haneul and Sideswipe had informed him of. Lennox's face slowly darkened as the tale was told. When the Prime was finished, he immediately wrapped his arms protectively around Haneul, his fatherly instincts kicking in. "Don't worry, I'll take care of this," he told her seriously.

"Umm…It's nothing, really. It's fine. I don't want to cause trouble…" she trailed off, pulling away from him. He looked at her with firm eyes.

"Nonsense. I will _not_ tolerate this from my team." And that was that. She sighed and then nodded.

"Fine…" she muttered reluctantly.

The next day, she noticed that Grant and Brady avoided her completely whenever she would walk past them in the hallways. She was extremely thankful for it, but on the other hand, she was also worried. What if they managed to corner her where nobody could see? They had to be pissed off at her for going to Lennox. She just knew it.

Sideswipe had been spending more and more time trailing her. He had become something like a bodyguard for her. Thinking that it was Optimus Prime's orders, Haneul gave it no thought and just let him follow her around.

Thankfully, he wasn't as annoyed with her as he was before. Or, that was how it appeared to Haneul. The two of them managed to strike up a conversation or two on the way to and from the med bay. Those days, Haneul didn't even bother to go to the cafeteria for lunch – she generally took her lunch in the med bay while simultaneously working on her giant mountain of paperwork that she had to do every day thanks to the multitude of patients that frequented the med bay. Ratchet, of course, did not condone this idea of hers, and attempted to make her go to the cafeteria to socialize, but she refused each time.

Sideswipe was also visiting the med bay more and more often. According to him, he was training more vigorously with Ironhide and therefore wanted to make sure he was attending to his upkeep properly. Or something along those lines. Haneul tended to tune him out whenever he was speaking because he was generally insulting her in some offhand way. Or, so it seemed. Sides' visits had become so frequent that Ratchet had actually banned him from coming to the medical hangar unless he was practically dying.

One day, as Haneul was coming back from getting her lunch, she overheard the two of them talking quietly. Stopping herself from entering the room and interrupting their conversation, she waited by the door, unable to stop herself from listening in.

"Sideswipe, why do you keep on getting yourself all slagged up?" Ratchet growled.

"I can't help it! I can't stay away from her, Ratchet," Sideswipe replied, his voice soft for once.

"Her? Who?" Ratchet questioned, obviously confused. "You can't be talking about-"

Sideswipe cut him off, "Yeah…it's her. Haneul. I can't stop thinking about her, Ratchet. And I know that we're different species and everything but I just _don't care_ anymore. Ever since Sunny and I…ever since we got separated, there's been this…this _void_ in my spark and whenever I'm around her. Well. It starts to shrink. Just a little bit."

Haneul held back her gasp. Turning sharply, she rushed off towards the cafeteria. No way was she going to go back into the med bay after overhearing that conversation. There was absolutely no way!

Practically running down the hallway, her knuckles had a death grip on the food tray in her hands. Because she wasn't looking where she was going, she almost ran head first into Lennox. Thankfully however, he managed to sidestep the girl, grasping onto her arm to prevent her from going any further.

"Haneul? What's wrong?" he questioned.

"W-what?" she stuttered in response. "Nothing! Nothing's wrong!" she said, almost hysterically.

"Uh, if you're sure…" he gave her an odd look before turning from her and continuing on his way. Sighing, Haneul took her tray to her room, placing it on her nightstand before pulling her mobile out from her pocket. Dialing a familiar number, she prayed for someone to pick up.

"Hello?" the voice asked in Korean. Haneul sighed in relief.

"Mom!" she exclaimed happily.

"Oh, is that my darling Haneul, finally calling me?" her mother asked teasingly.

"Of course! I miss you guys…"

"We miss you too, dear…Speaking of, when are you coming back home to visit?"

Haneul was surprised. If she were to be honest, she hadn't thought about going back to Korea. Her home was on the base now, helping people. Sighing, she told her mom, "I don't know when I can, mom…I'll ask off though. Lennox is nice, he'll probably allow it for at least a week or two."

"Why don't you ask off for three?" her mom insisted. Laughing slightly, Haneul agreed before hanging up.

Leaning against the wall beside her door, she closed her eyes, attempting to forget about the conversation that she had heard in the med bay. While the call with her mother was a nice distraction, after the call ended the thoughts all came flooding back.

How could Sideswipe, an _alien robot_, have feelings for her?! She just did not understand whatsoever. Deciding to shake it off for now, she decided to go find Ratchet and see if she could get some time off to go back to Korea.

Luckily for her, he was in the med bay as usual. When she walked in, he immediately looked up from his work and smiled slightly. "Ah, Haneul. What can I do for you?" he asked her when she came to a stop by his feet. Lowering his hand, he waited until she was settled then brought her up to the table. That way she didn't have to crane her neck in order to talk to him properly.

"Ah, well…I was just wondering…"

"Spit it out, woman."

"Can I have some time off?" she blurted. "My mom…she wants me to go back home and visit for a little while…" she explained.

"How long are we talking here?" he asked.

"Umm…three weeks?" she said softly, almost squeaking.

"I'll give you two."

"But- wait…really?" she asked, shocked. He smiled down at her, nodding.

"I know how important family is to a person," he said with a faraway look in his optics. "So it's only fair that you get to spend time with yours.

"Thank you so much!" she said, bowing repetitively. Chuckling, he waved for her to stop and she did, after giving one more bow.

"There is _one_ condition though," he told her seriously. Raising an eyebrow, she looked up at him questioningly. "You have to take Sideswipe with you."

* * *

**A/N: Here's the long overdue chapter five! Sorry it's taken me so long...I'm super busy with a kpop fanfic and my horse, and college. Unfortunately, my horse has acquired an infection in her leg on top of a new wound, so we have to change the bandage a loooooot more frequently now. **

**Please, please, please review! It makes me want to write quicker! I promise. **

**I should start updating more regularly now that I have a schedule (err...kind of). **

**Again, please tell me what you think of this! Also, I take ideas to heart so if there is something you'd like to see in this story, let me know and I'll most definitely consider it! **

**-ZH**


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Haneul was shocked. She had to take _Sideswipe,_ of all bots, with her? Why couldn't it be another bot? When she voiced this in a weary tone, she was told that it was because Sideswipe was the only Autobot available at the time. Well, the truth was that Sideswipe had volunteered to accompany her and had asked everyone else to keep quiet about it.

"Fine," she reluctantly agreed after a few minutes of arguing about it. Sideswipe, who was in the room now, yelped with excitement.

"Yes!" he exclaimed. Haneul shot him a look, quieting him immediately with a sheepish grin.

"Why are you so excited anyway? I thought that you hated me."

"Psh. Of course I do. I just wanna see South Korea," he told her, thinking up the convincing lie on the spot. She rolled her eyes and left the room to pack her things. Unfortunately for her, Sideswipe followed after her, his wheels skating smoothly over the paved hallways of the base.

"Why are you following me?"

"Because I'm going to help you pack, of course," he said snidely. Huffing quietly to herself, she stopped in front of her room.

"Well tough luck. You cannot fit through the door way," she said, thinking that she had outsmarted him. He laughed and transformed down into his Corvette mode.

"That's what you think!" he said gleefully. Confused, she watched as the driver's side door opened and a person stepped out.

He was tall, towering over her short form, and had a dark head of hair that fell into brilliant blue eyes. He was wearing tight fitted black jeans and a looser white v-neck tee shirt and on his feet were black ankle high boots. He was lean, but muscled in a way that made Haneul's heard beat just a little bit faster.

"W-what?" she stuttered, backing up into her door. The man smirked.

"What, don't you like it?" he asked in Sideswipe's voice.

"I'm just, I mean, how?"

"It's called a holo-form," he explained. "Ratchet and an Autobot named Hound fixed them up for us a while ago." She nodded, wrapping her head around the whole concept quite easily.

"Okay then. I erm…I guess you can help me pack," Haneul said reluctantly. Grinning, Sideswipe waltzed his way past her and into her room.

"Wow, it's really bare in here," he told her bluntly, crossing his arms over his chest. Rolling her eyes, she pushed him lightly and scoffed.

"Well it's not like I have many things," she told him. His eyes widened and he bowed his head, slightly ashamed.

"Oh, right…sorry."

"Eh, do not fret over it."

"But still…" he murmured. _'I'll just have to change that'_ he thought to himself with a devious smile.

And so they packed. Seeing as how Haneul was, in fact, correct about the fact that she didn't have many items, it only took her one suitcase to pack two weeks' worth of clothes and her toiletries as well as an extra pair of shoes.

Once they were finished, Sideswipe took her hand and – not seeing the blush that graced her cheeks – led her to the meeting hall where Optimus and Lennox were waiting for the two of them. "Oh, Haneul, Sideswipe, you're here," Lennox said upon seeing them. Smiling at Haneul and nodding at Sides, he gestured for them to take seats in front of the two commanding officers.

Doing so, they waited on their orders.

"Okay, so there are a few rules that you both need to follow once you land in Korea," Lennox said.

"Okay, what are they?" Haneul asked, listening attentively. Sideswipe, on the other hand, was already nodding off in boredom.

"Firstly, and this is the most important, _Sideswipe_," he said sternly, making Sides jerk awake. "Watch out for Decepticons. We know that they are after Haneul, so this whole trip is a risk. Secondly, only stay for two weeks, and lastly." He smiled at Haneul in a fatherly way. "Make sure and have some fun, yeah?"

She nodded, happy. "Yeah!" she exclaimed.

"Then you are free to go."

Sideswipe stood up and held his hand out for Haneul's chivalrously. Taking it, albeit hesitantly, the two of them left the room, making their way towards the hangar that held the airplanes and helicopters.

When they got there, Sideswipe's alternate mode was waiting for them. The engine whirred to life as they got closer. Winking at her playfully, Sideswipe opened his passenger side door. "After you, milady," he said. Laughing slightly under her breath, Haneul slid gracefully into his interior, careful not to touch anything.

"So, how are we getting there?" she asked as his holo-form appeared across from her in a flash of static.

"There is some sighting of Decepticon activity over in Asia, so we'll be heading over there with them, and then driving down to your family's house in South Korea," he told her. She nodded in agreement, and then they boarded the plane that would take them to Korea.

* * *

**0-0-0**

* * *

Once they landed in South Korea after about fourteen hours of flying nonstop, Haneul stepped out of Sides. Having slept for most of the way, she stretched her stiff body and took a deep breath of the familiar air of the International Incheon Airport. Well, the outside of it, anyways. Having finished stretching, she reluctantly climbed back into Sideswipe's Corvette mode.

"Ready to go home?" he asked softly. Smiling widely, she nodded emphatically.

"Yes!"

"Good, then let's go!" he said with a laugh.

The ride to her family's apartment complex took a little over an hour. Thankfully, Sideswipe knew the back roads to take in order to avoid the majority of the traffic of Seoul. When he finally pulled up outside of the semi-rundown apartment complex, he was a bit confused. He had thought that Haneul's family was well off, living in a nice house somewhere on the outskirts of Seoul. Instead, he was greeted with the semi-rundown apartment complex in the heart of the city.

"Uh…"

"I know, not what you're expecting, right?"

"Well, yeah," he said bluntly. She sighed and unbuckled her seatbelt, but stayed in the car.

"Well, because my parents helped to put through medical school, we've become kind of low on money," she explained, not at all ashamed of her situation.

"Oh, I see," he said. Pondering over something for a moment, he surprised himself when he blurted out, "Do you need any help? I have a paycheck that I don't use…"

"Oh, no!" she protested vehemently. "Not at all! We're fine, really," she said with a smile. His engine revved in frustration but he stayed quiet. "Thanks, by the way, for coming with me," she said softly as she exited the car and hurried inside, shouting for her mother.

* * *

**A/N: So here's chapter six! Sorry it's a day late...I was busy with schoolwork. Next one should be out next weekend! Hopefully...And it's midnight here and I have things to do tomorrow, so it's not as long as was originally planned. **

**Please please review! It makes me wanna write faster! **

**Thanks for reading,**

**-ZH**


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Sideswipe was a bit stressed out about having to stay parked for an indefinite period of time. Well, scratch that, he was extremely stressed out about it. He was used to feeling the road under his wheels at least every day. He wasn't used to staying parked in front of a not so nice apartment building, waiting on a girl he was developing feelings for. But, it was for that exact reason that he was staying there. It was all for her. Sighing, he relaxed back onto his wheels, ignoring the surprised looks he got from people walking past.

"Sideswipe!" Haneul cried, coming down the steps haphazardly. His holo form fizzed to life inside the vehicle, and he stepped out. He was wearing the same thing as the first time he had appeared in front of her.

"Yeah?" he asked coolly, leaning against his alternative mode and crossing his arms across his chest.

"Oh, I was just um…Wondering if you wanted to drive me to go to the grocery store?" she asked sheepishly, playing with her fingers in front of her and looking down.

"Sure!" he said excitedly. Anything to get away from the street curb he was parked next to. "Hop in," he told her, opening the door to his passenger side.

"Thanks!" she said happily, sliding gracefully into his vehicular mode.

Over the next two week, the two of them grew ever closer. When she wasn't spending time with her family, she was spending time with Sideswipe. Surprisingly, he wasn't as bad as she had first thought he was. It was nice, she thought, to be able to freely talk with somebody about all of her problems and not have to worry about what they thought about her. She instinctively knew, somehow, that Sideswipe would always tell the truth to her. He would never lie to her, and would always be there whenever she needed him.

How she knew this, she didn't know, but she went with it. After all, who was she to doubt herself?

"So, tell me more about Cybertron." They were currently in a little abandoned back lot in the not so nice part of Seoul, talking while Haneul was seated on the hood of the Corvette.

"It's amazing. You would have loved it there, I think," he told her confidently. "All tall, sleek buildings and then there's the arena. I loved it there. My…my brother and I used to fight together," he trailed off sadly, the mere thought of Sunstreaker making his optics want to fill with Energon.

"You have a brother?" Haneul asked, surprised. Never before had her newest friend mentioned anything about having a sibling.

"Yeah, I do…But, he's lost, somewhere out in space."

"Oh no…Sideswipe, I'm so sorry!" she cried, tears welling up in her eyes. "That's terrible!"

"It's okay, Haneul. Please don't cry!" he panicked, his holo form appearing next to her, wiping her tears away carefully. "We'll find each other again sometime soon, don't worry." He pulled her into a hug – that was what humans did to comfort each other, right?

The revving of an engine caught them off guard. An Audi R8 appeared around the corner, almost taunting Sideswipe. The sleek silver and black vehicle revved its engine again, jerking forward a few feet before stopping.

"Sideways," Sides growled, tightening his hold on Haneul.

"Sideswipe, what's going on? Who is that?" she whispered fearfully, grabbing a handful of his shirt – she was vaguely surprised that she actually _could_ grab a hold of his shirt, it being part of a holo-form and all.

"That's Sideways, a Decepticon," he spat out. Haneul's eyes widened in shock and she huddled closer to Sideswipe. After her first encounter with a Decepticon, she had never wanted to meet with one again. But, unfortunately for her, luck was most definitely _not_ on her side.

"I'm not here to fight," the voice of Sideways wafted towards them. Sideswipe scoffed, his engine revving in preparation of a fight. "I swear!" the Decepticon roared, backing up a few feet. "I'm just bringing a warning! Watch your back, Autobot, for we are coming." With that said, the Audi R8 zoomed backwards, skidding into a half circle before speeding off, leaving nothing but his ominous words and tire tracks behind.

Thankfully, the next day was when they were scheduled to fly back to the Autobot's base. After Sideswipe had informed Optimus and Lennox of their encounter with Sideways, the Prime had instructed them to get on the plane earlier than they had originally planned.

After a tearful goodbye to her family, Haneul and Sideswipe swiftly made their way towards the airport. During the drive there, and even through the flight, it was silent.

Once they arrived back at the base, though, Sideswipe had managed to cheer her up, and they were talking and laughing together like they had been throughout the week. The sight of it shocked everyone on the base. The soldiers had been used to hearing them bicker whenever they were near each other, not laughing together.

"Oh, you're back!" Lennox exclaimed. "And you're…laughing together?" he questioned, shocked.

"Sideswipe, can I talk to you for a moment please? Alone?" Optimus asked quietly, stepping forward. Sides nodded once, setting Haneul down next to Lennox.

"Of course, Prime," he replied.

The two of them stepped into Optimus Prime's large office. As Prime settled himself behind his desk, Sideswipe stood at attention in front of him.

"What do you need me for, sir?" Sides asked professionally.

"I need to know, what are your intentions with Haneul?"

"Err…what do you mean, Prime?" he stuttered, attempting to stall for time. When the Prime gave him a stern look, he sighed. "I intend to…well, I think that she's the one for me, Prime," he admitted. "I really, really like her. I mean, I'd go as far as to say that I'm in love with her," he told the Prime. Optimus sighed.

"That is what I feared."

"W-what? What do you mean?"

"I'm afraid I am going to have to forbid you from pursuing a relationship with her."

"What?! Why? I mean, you don't have a problem with the relationship between Sam and 'Bee!" he protested.

"Their relationship is not romantic. I'm just looking out for you, Sideswipe. Now do as I say," the Prime ordered. Sideswipe stiffened, but nodded his head anyway.

"May I be excused, _sir_?" he asked through gritted teeth. When he got the okay from his leader, the Corvette swerved around and sped off, intent on heading to the shooting range. He definitely needed to shoot something.

* * *

**A/N: Here's the next chapter! It's a little shorter than I would like, and a little later than I expected it to be, but it's out! Please review and tell me how it is! **

**I'm sorry that it's a bit rushed, too... My bad...**

**-ZH**


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

* * *

Ratchet was livid. His Prime was being completely unreasonable! "Prime! You cannot be serious!" he said, walking swiftly next to the leader of the Autobots. They were on their way to his office because Ratchet had wanted to talk.

Despite common belief, the warrior twins and Ratchet were pretty close. Being in the med bay frequently had made them that way, however, and it didn't mean that they were the best of friends or anything. The twins were able to tell Ratchet their problems and have him listen without being biased in any way, which was something rare. Hence, when Optimus Prime had ordered Sideswipe to stay away from Haneul, the Corvette had immediately gone and ranted to Ratchet. Hence the conversation that was taking place.

"Ratchet, do not question my authority," Prime said, his deep voice resonating in the office.

"But-" Ratchet sighed, defeated. "As you say, Prime," he said. Knowing that he couldn't do anything to change his leader's mind once he had decided on something, he retreated from the Prime's office.

Haneul was confused. The atmosphere between the Autobots was extremely tense, a very different vibe from the usual playful atmosphere. So it was obvious as to why she was confused, but not to her. Deciding that she had better ask somebody what exactly was going on, she headed to the med bay. Plus, she did have a job to get back to.

"Hey, Ratchet?" she questioned, walking through the big doors to the med bay. He turned to her, a sad look to his optics as he looked at her. Seeing the look he gave her, she quickly redirected her thoughts. "Erm, never mind."

She quickly got to work, filing paperwork and admitting patients like she was born to do it. She figured that it would be best to just pretend as if everything were normal. That way, nothing could go wrong. Plus, she would feel as if she was intruding on the Autobot's lives if she asked about what was causing the tension.

However, when Sideswipe failed to appear in the med bay as usual, she grew extremely worried. Deciding to take her lunch break then, at around three o'clock in the afternoon, she went searching for her newfound friend.

"Ratchet?" she asked as she made her way into the main entryway of the med bay. The CMO turned from what he was doing – which was just paperwork – and looked at her with that same off putting look in his optics.

"Yes, Haneul?" he replied.

"Um…Where is Sideswipe? Do you know?" she stuttered. Ratchet then grew worried. It was true that he knew Sideswipe would most likely be in the shooting range, letting out is frustrations on a testing dummy of some sort, but that wasn't what worried him. What worried him was the fact that Haneul was so bothered by the fact that the silver Corvette hadn't come in to see her that day. Was it possible that she held some feelings for the Autobot, same as he held for her? Sighing, he decided to tell her where she could find Sideswipe. After all, they needed to work it out one way or another.

"I can't tell you all the details, but Sideswipe might be able to," he said after a moment's thought. "Try looking at the shooting range." Nodding her head at him in thanks – she was still getting used to not bowing to everybody – she hurried from the med bay, shouting that she was going to take her lunch break back at him.

When she reached the shooting range, Haneul stopped in her tracks. The shooting range, which was empty save Sideswipe, was demolished. Holes were covering every inch of the walls, and the dummies that were used for target practice were in shreds all over the floor. Upon her arrival, Sideswipe spun around, aiming his gun at the newest intruder.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Haneul said, backing up quickly with her hands in the air. "It's just me, Sides." He put the gun down.

"Sorry, Haneul," he muttered, turning back around and aiming at a target that was painted on the wall.

"Hey, Sides…" she called, making him turn back around abruptly.

"_What_?" he snarled, making her step back in fear. "I-I'm sorry, Haneul, I didn't mean…It's just…"

"Relax, it's okay. Wanna talk to me?" she asked him. He hesitated. He knew that he shouldn't talk to her whatsoever, but he couldn't, for the life of him, stay away from her. It had only been mere hours and already he was missing her company. So he kneeled down, holding his hand out for Haneul to step on. He sighed when she clambered onto his hand.

"Haneul…" he started, bringing her close to his face. She blinked, her face glowing blue because of the light that was coming off of Sideswipe's optics.

"Yes, Sideswipe?" she questioned in response.

"I can't… I can't be around you anymore," he finally said after a long pause. She halted in all movement.

"W-what? You're joking, aren't you? This is all part of some…some big prank, right?" she stuttered, tears coming up and welling in her brown eyes. She pushed her hair back behind her ear and looked up at him. "You _have_ to be joking!"

"I am not," he said gravely. Setting her down on the ground, he rolled back away from her a few feet. "I'm…sorry, Haneul." Rolling away, it broke his heart to hear the sob that rose from her throat when she realized that he was speaking the truth.

* * *

**A/N: Here's the next chapter. Sorry it's late, college has been kicking my ass. Plus, some other personal stuff is going on. Please review! **

**-ZH**


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

* * *

When she didn't show up for work after her lunch break was over, Ratchet went on a search for Haneul. After looking in her room, in the cafeteria, and back in the med bay, he finally went to the shooting range, where he found her. She was curled up on the floor, holding herself, with tears streaming down her face. Startled, Ratchet rushed over to her, quickly transforming down and allowing his holo-form to pop out beside her. She didn't even flinch.

He wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close. "Haneul, why are you crying?" he questioned. She finally snapped out of her reverie and looked up at him, sniffling.

"It's…It's nothing, Ratchet," she muttered, pulling away from his fatherly grasp. He glared at her, standing up and crossing his arms across his chest.

"Haneul, you tell the truth right now," he demanded. Sighing in defeat, she rose to her feet as well.

"It's just…Something that Sideswipe said."

"That slagger! I'll kill him, I _told _him not to say anything, but does he ever listen to me?! No, no he doesn't…" He stalked off towards his alternate vehicle, intent on finding Sideswipe and dismantling something extremely important. As he continued to rant, Haneul ran in front of him, stopping him in his tracks. "Haneul, what is it?" he asked, confused as to her reasoning for stopping him.

"Please don't hurt Sideswipe," she muttered, feeling a little bit pathetic. After all, the silver mech had hurt her, why shouldn't she want him to feel at least a little bit of pain? Well the answer was simple: because she realized that she had feelings for the Corvette, as strange as it sounded.

She thought that she was crazy, and odd, for having feelings for a robotic alien from outer space. He was of a totally different species, after all, so how on earth would their relationship work?! If there was a relationship at all, she thought. Which wasn't likely, seeing as how he had treated her so poorly just minutes before.

"Why don't you want me to knock some sense into that slagger?" Ratchet demanded.

"Because, it's…it's not worth it," she muttered, looking down while rubbing her left arm with her right. Nodding, Ratchet's holo-form fizzled out, and his headlights blinked at her from his rescue vehicle, indicating that he would like her to hop in.

"If you say so," he muttered in response to her previous statement. "Why don't you join me, and we'll return to work. It'll help get your mind off of things, too," he told her. Nodding, she slid gracefully into the rescue vehicle and the two were off to the med bay.

As she returned to her work, the patients noticed a change in Haneul that they were most definitely not expecting. Her eyes were emotionless, almost listless as she wrote down names and her posture was defeated as she led the patients back to the room where they would wait for the doctor.

The week passed by way too slowly for her. During that time, however, she had gained a new friend in Ironhide. He had come in because of a malfunction in his cannon that he couldn't quite reach, and Ratchet had let her help him – mainly because her hands were tiny enough to get in between the cracks and crevices that needed to be explored in order to solve the problem. While she was fixing up Ironhide's cannon, they had chatted over small things and quickly become friends. Now, he would come and have lunch with her on her lunch break in order to keep her company. She suspected that Ratchet had something to do with that, though. Probably something about him being worried for her wellbeing, no matter how many times she told him that she was fine, that the incident with Sideswipe – who she hadn't seen since he had told her to leave him alone – had left her unaffected. Although it was a blatant lie, her new friendship with Ironhide had satisfied Ratchet.

"Don't worry about Sideswipe, Haneul," the black mech was saying one day, about a week and a half after the incident had happened. "It's not that he doesn't wanna talk to you, it's…well, it's a mech thing. I'm afraid that you wouldn't understand."

"It's fine, Ironhide," she said softly. "I'm over it," she said with a forced smile on her face. He raised an eyebrow at her, and she deflated. "Okay, so it has hit me a little harder than I'd like to admit, but I'm getting over it, slowly."

She started getting back to normal pretty quickly after she made that friendship with Ironhide. However, she still greatly missed the camaraderie that she had had with Sideswipe. Their relationship was definitely one of a kind, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't replicate it.

One day, however, Sideswipe made a surprise appearance in her life. She was just about to take her lunch break, finishing up with a patient, when he rolled into the med bay. Imagine her surprise when she set her eyes on his form.

He was more than slightly beat up, making her wonder where, exactly, he had been those past two weeks.

"Sideswipe!" she cried, dropping her clipboard. Bending down to pick it up, she stepped back when she stood up – Sideswipe had moved closer. "W-what are you doing here?" she questioned.

"I…I just needed to see you," he muttered softly. She almost couldn't hear him.

"I…don't know what to say," she admitted quietly, lowering her head and allowing her hair to cover her face.

Hearing the commotion coming from where Haneul was, Ratchet rushed in, only to see the two of them facing off. "By the Allspark, what is going on here?!" he demanded. Neither of them answered. They were too focused on each other. Sighing in defeat, the CMO decided it would be best for them to just talk it out instead of having him interfere. "If you break anything, you're dead," he warned the silver mech before leaving.

"You don't have to say anything," Sideswipe said, an almost desperate tone to his voice. "Just…just listen to me, please."

"Okay…But hurry, it's my lunch break, and I'm hungry," she replied, uncertain.

"I won't be long, I promise," he told her. "I just wanted to tell you something…"

"Well, spit it out already then!"

"I'm…going away. On a mission. And…I don't know when I will be back," he said quietly. "I know that you probably don't care, especially after the way that I treated you, but I just wanted to let you know. Especially if something were to happen to me…I don't think I could die without you knowing how I feel." He took a deep breath here, as if steadying himself. Haneul was shocked. Her best friend was going away for an indefinite period of time? It was bad enough when he was gone for patrol during the day, but…this?

"Sides…What do you mean, how you feel? You made it perfectly clear as to how you feel about me, remember?" she said in reply to his last statement. He sighed once more.

"Yeah, but that was only because Prime made me!" he protested. Haneul was now extremely confused.

"Prime made you say that you didn't want to be around me?" she questioned.

"Well, not exactly. He just said that I couldn't pursue a…relationship with you," he said. Her eyes widened. That explained so much. She _knew_ that Sides never would have willingly tossed her aside like he had. She knew it. Tears welled up in her eyes.

"So…so you don't hate me?" she sniffled. His holo-form appeared in front of her, blue Energon tears welled up in his eyes.

"Oh, Haneul…I could _never_ hate you. Remember that," he told her, bringing her in for a hug. She sniffed back her tears and embraced him tightly.

"Good!" she said. "I'm going to miss you," she whispered. He nodded, resting his head on hers.

"I'll miss you too, Haneul." Backing up, he reluctantly released her. "But I have to go now," he told her. Nodding, she sighed. Before she could change her mind, she stood up on her tip toes and planted a kiss on his cheek. Blushing, he abruptly turned around, fizzling out as his bipedal mode came back to life, walking away slowly, all the while taking backward glances at the girl he had come to love.

It would be a few hours later when Haneul realized that he had never answered her question. Just how did he feel about her?

* * *

**A/N: So here's the next chapter. It's a little bit longer than the last, thankfully! Also, I just recently got a job, and start tomorrow (Monday), so I don't know how often I'll be able to update this story now, because I will be working full time and also going to college full time. So yeah. Don't hate me? And please review!**

-ZH


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